@pomstan @Zerglingman @jeff @Moon @lebronjames75 @birdulon most likely for compatibility sake it's exported as a "single" device with multiple channels so that DAWs know it's a same physical device with same clock, and split it into channels by itself, otherwise it would assume it's separate physical devices and attempt to synchronize them.

You can split channels into virtual mono devices, or even split quad devices into separate stereo devices, it's been a feature in pipewire and pulseaudio before it for years. Dunno why if it's possible on windows.